For libraries, 'Harry' carries rules Thu Apr 5, 3:58 PM
ET
FARMINGTON, Utah - No peeking.
The publisher of the new Harry Potter novel has strict rules for
libraries handling the book this summer.
Among them: Libraries must limit the number of employees who handle
the books before the July 21 release and provide names and contact
information for each branch manager, according to the contract from
Scholastic Inc.
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" is the final book in J.K.
Rowling's popular series about the boy wizard.
Davis County Library director Pete Giacoma got a contract on March
28 and shared it with county commissioners. "I think we better
ratify," Commissioner Bret Millburn said. "I think we'd get a spell
cast on us."
The contract says failure to keep "Deathly Hallows" under wraps
until July 21 could get libraries scratched from future embargoed
titles. "We acknowledge and agree that any such violation will
cause irreparable harm to Scholastic and the author, J.K. Rowling,
and that monetary damages will be inadequate to compensate for
violations," the contract states.
Davis County libraries have ordered 150 copies. Salt Lake County's
library system has ordered 652 books for its 18 branches. Salt Lake
City wants 150.
Despite the "weighty, ominous" language, Giacoma said he takes the
contract seriously, although it may be part of the marketing
strategy. "It adds to the mystique," he said.
The rules are required to honor Rowling's wishes of preserving a
"magical moment" for children, Scholastic spokeswoman Kyle Good
said.
"When you have a print run of 12 million books that you're sending
out into the world, just in the U.S. alone, and you do want to
preserve a very special moment for children, you take whatever
precautions you need," she said. - Yahoo! News
